Swimming trunks



July 10,

D. SEIDNER SWIMMING TRUNKS Filed Feb. 11. 1948 [Il Illlnllnlllllllluf "Ill IIU lllllllll ul rulmn .n

INVENTOR.

BY MTL-1w* Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES. PATENT oFFl-CE SWIMMING TRUNKS David' Seidner, New York, N. Y.

Applicationv February 11, 1948; Serial No. l7,639

3 Claims. (CIL 2-67) ',This invention relates to swimming trunks.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a trunk-type garment which fits well and comfortably on the wearer. More particularly itis an object of the present invention to provide swimming trunks which fit the wearer smoothly and snugly without binding.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings.:l

Fig. 1 is a front View of swimming trunks embodying the present invention, as they appear when on the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a view of the back thereof;

Fig.v3 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the swimming trunks I embodying the presentl invention comprise the front and` rear panels, I2 and I4, formed of elastic fabric such, as for example, satin lastex which is stretchable laterally of the wearer as indicated by the arrows A but which is preferably inelastic and non-stretchable longitudinally of the wearer. The back panel is` formed in two sections stitched together by the central vertical seam I5. Said panels extend laterally of the garment to points near the opposite sides of the wearer but the side edges of the front panel' are spaced from the adjacent side edges, respectively, of the back panel and elastic side inserts I6 are disposed in the garment between said front and rear panels. Thesel inserts extend longitudinally of the garment and have lower end portions I8 which, to-

tinuous.. 'I'he leg-opening defining parts of the,

panels and of the inserts IB have their edges folded inwardly or hemmed andstitchedin position by the elastic stitching 32. The swimming trunks are preferably provided with inner sup- 'Ihe lower central portions of,Y

Said panels and inserts IS,Y form thev porter 38 confronting the inner surface of the.I

front panel I2 and stitched at its lower andupper edges to the frontpanel by the seams 24' and 30 turned edge portions of the front panel I2.. Itv

willbe understood that only the lower edge portions of the supporter 38 arevsecured to panel I2Y and that exceptfor this securement and the securement of the lower and upper edges of said supporter thelatter is free fromdirect securement in the garment.

'Ihe waist band 28 is formed of elastic fabric whichis-of such. construction that said band has an easier stretch laterally of the band, that is longitudinally of the garment, than longitudinally ofthe band, that is laterally or circumferentially of the garment. For this purpose bandY 2.8 is. preferably made of rib knitted material having rubber strands or threads extending longitudinally ofthe ribs and having thinner and more easily stretchable rubber strands or ,threads inthe portions of the fabric located between the ribs. Accordingly, the band 28 exerts the proper tension around the wearer to hold the trunkv in position, and at theV same time the band can stretch longitudinally of the wearer so as to eliminate excessive upward pull on the garment andbinding at the crotch which might otherwise occur.

The elastic inserts I6 are preferably formed of the same material as the band 28, but it will be noted that these inserts are positioned in the trunks in such manner that the direction of easier stretch is laterally of the garment.` More specifically, it will be observed that the elastic pieces or inserts I6 are positioned so that the ribs thereof extend longitudinally of the garment instead of laterally thereof with the result that, as stated, the direction of easier stretch of these inserts is laterally ofthe garment. 'I'hus the edge portions of the garment at the leg openings' are resiliently stretchable peripherally of said leg openings respectively so as to snugly fit around the` wearers thighs without binding. In this connection it will be understood that the panels I2 andi I4' which are preferably inelastic and nonstretchable longitudinally of the wearer nevertheless have a degree of elasticity at parts ofthe edge portions at the leg openings, becausev of the cutting ofthe material on the bias in forming the leg-opening defining portions of saidv panel. However, since parts of these last-mentioned portions of the panels, particularly those portions fad'jacent the crotchV 26, are' cut substantially along the straight of the goods or at a small angle thereto, said portions near the crotch have little or no elasticity, and the remaining edge portions of said panels at the leg openings are not sufiiciently elastic to compensate for the lack of adequate elasticity in the aforementioned edge portions of the panel at the leg openings. This objection is obviated by the inserts I6, and at the same time the relation between the inserts and the adjacent parts of panels I2 and I4 longitudinally of said inserts is such as to enable the parts of the garment which are constituted by these inserts and by the adjacent longitudinally extending parts of the panel to stretch longitudinally of the garment at the hips of the wearer. In this connection it will be observed that the side edges 40 of panel I2, abovethe leg openings, and the corresponding side edges 42 of panel I4 are arcuate or bowed to converge upwardly toward band 28, ,the adjacent side edges of said panels being curved in opposite directions, and

that in cutting these panels to provide these "up-V wardly converging side edges, the lines of cut are at an angle to the straight of the goods with the result that the upper longitudinal edge portions of the panels adjacent the inserts VIB are elastic longitudinally of the garment and are resiliently stretchable with the elastic inserts I6 longitudinally of said inserts. v

. A I t will be noted, as shown in Fig. 3, that, when the'trunks are on the wearer, the upper edge portion of each insert I6, adjacent the waist band 28, is in partially stretched condition. Similarly, when the trunks are on the wearer, theA lower edge portion of each insert I5at the seam 32is in partially stretched condition. The partially stretched upper edge portions of inserts I6 obviate an abrupt decrease in elasticity in the region of the upper part of the garment near the waist band without interfering with the desired degree of stretchability of the inserts laterally of the garment in the region of the wearers hips. The partially stretched lower edge portions of the inserts provide for the proper degree of elasticity of the garment at the leg openings ywithout impairing the greater stretchability required in the garment at the hips of the wearer. It will be observed that these'results are accomplished without requiring cutting the inserts I5 for the purpose of narrowing or `widening the latter along the length thereof, and conversely it will be observed that the inserts I6 may be formed of pieces of fabric which are of uniform width.

It will be understood that various changes in the details of `construction may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles ofthis invention within the Ascope of the appended claims.

Having .thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: l l. A trunk type garment, comprising front and back panels which are resiliently stretchable laterally of the garment and nonestretchable longitudinally of the garment, and elastic side inserts disposed between said front and back panels -and'secured to the adjacent side edges, respectively, of said panels, said side inserts being resiliently stretchable longitudinally of the garment and laterally thereof and being more easily stretchable laterally of the garment than longitudinally thereof, the lower ends of said inserts and adjacent lower ends of said panels, respectively, defining the leg openings of the gat`` 4 ment, said adjacent side edges of the panels above the *leg openings being bowed away from each other whereby the edge portions of said panels adjacent said side edges, respectively, are yieldingly stretchable longitudinally of the garment with the :adjacent side inserts, respectively.

2. A trunk type garment, comprising front :and back panels which are resiliently stretchable laterally of the garment and non-stretchable longitudinally of 'the garment, and elastic side'inserts disposed between said front and back panels and secured to the adjacent side edges, respectively, of said panels, said side inserts being resiliently stretchable longitudinally of the garment and laterally thereof and being more easily stretchable laterally of the garment than longitudinally thereof, the lower ends of said inserts and adjacent lower ends of said panels, respectively, dening the leg openings of the garment, said adjacent side edges of the panels above theleg openings being bowed away from. each other whereby the edge portions of said panels adja Y cent said sideedges, respectively, are yieldably stretchable longitudinally of thegarment with the adjacent side inserts, respectively, and an elastic waist band secured to the upper edges of said panels and said inserts, said waist band being resiliently stretchable circumferentially of the garment and longitudinally thereof and being more easily stretchable longitudinally of the garment than circumferentially thereof.

3. A trunk type garment, comprisingfront and back panels which are resiliently stretchable laterally of the garment and non-stretchable longi,

tudinally of the garment, said panelsfhaving arcuate side edges, and elastic side inserts disposed between said front and back panels` and secured to the adjacent side edges, respectively,

of said panels, said side inserts being resilientlyv stretchable longitudinally of the garment'and laterally thereof and being more easily stretch-` able laterally of the garment than longitudinally` thereof, the lower ends of said inserts and adjacent lower ends of said panels, respectively, dev `fining the leg openings of the garment, said adjacent side edges of the panels abovetheleg openings being curved in opposite -d1rect1ons REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,288,553 Slezak June 30, 1942 2,397,641 Blair Apr. 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number Australia Jan. 23, 1930 Great Britain Dec. 8,1932r 

